Excavating-machine.



No. 685,896. Patented Nov. 5, |90I. H. A. WISE.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 18, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

lloxI No. 685,896. Patentd Nov. 5, IQOI.

l H. A. wlse. EXGAVATING `MACHINE.

(Application @led Feb. 18, 1901.)

THE Nonmr. 21ans on4 Puomuwo.. wAsmNGToN. D. c.

lll. Wllxlk 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Nov. 5, 190|.

(Apphcatxon filed Feb 18 1901 NITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

HERBERT A. VSE, OF LUXORA, ARKANSAS.

EXCAVATING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,896, dated NOVembel5, 1901- Application filed February 18,1901. Serial No. l17,793. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT A. WISE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Luxora, in the county of Mississippi and State of Arkansas,have invented a new and useful Excavating-Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is an improved excavating machine and roadgrader; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevicesfhereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan view of aneXcavatingmachine and grader constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same,taken on a plane indicated by the line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on aplaneindicated by the line b b of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail View,partly in section, on the line c c of Fig. 1.

The main frame l may be of any suitable construction. As here shown, itcomprises a pair of side bars 2, connected together by a series ofcross-bars 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. The crossbars 4 5, which are disposed somewhatinad- Vance of the center of `frame l, are connected together by bars10. Independent axle-shafts 11, which are disposed in line with eachother, are journaled in bearings 12 on the under sides of the bars 2 10.On each of the said axle-shafts, at the outer end thereof, is atractionwheel 13. Master-wheels 14, which are spur-gears, rotate rwiththe L said traction-I wheels and are engaged by pinions 15, which areloose on 'a shaft16. of the pinions 15 is a friction-clutch member- Y1'7. Friction-cones 18 are splined on the shaft 16 and are pressed bysprings 19 normally into engagement with the clutch mem bers 17 to causethe pinions 15 to. normally rotate with the shaft 16. It will4 beunderstood, however, that when one of the frictioncones is disengagedfrom the friction-clutch member of one of the pinions the latter will beloose on the shaft 16, and hence will not communicate power from theshaft 16 to one of the traction-wheels through the master-wheel 14 ofthe latter. Hence either of the tractionwheels may be disconnected fromthe shaft 16, which furnishes power thereto, at will.

Revoluble with each At the rear end of the frame l is mounted atrail-wheel 20.

Anengine, which isillustrated diagrammatically and designated by thereferencenumeral 21,`is mounted centrally on the frame 1, as here shownon the central portions of the cross-bars 6 7. Any suitable engine maybe employed. A shaft 22 is continuously rotated by the engine when themachine is in operation, the said shaft 22 being the powershaft. At therear end of the latter is a friction-wheel 23, which also is aily-Wheel. A

` pair of spur-gears 24 25, which are of unequal diameters, are loose onthe front portions of the powelshaft 22. VB y means of a clutch 26,which is splined on the said power-shaft, either of the said gears 24 25may be made fast to and caused to rotate with said powershaft. A lever27 of suitable construction is connected te the said clutch and servesto operate the same.

A counter-shaft 2S, which is journaled in suitable bearings and is hereshown as below the power-shaft 22, is provided with a spurwheel 29,which engages spur-wheel 24, and is further provided with a spur-wheel30, which engages spur-wheel 25. By means of the said gears and the saidclutch 26 the shaf t 28 may be rotated at a greater or decreased rate ofspeed. At the front end of the counter-shaft 28 is a miter gear-wheel3l.

A' pair of miter gear-wheels 32 33 are con nected together by a tubularsleeve 34, which latter is splined on the shaft 16.` The saidgear-wheels 32 33 are disposed on opposite sides `.of the mitergear-wheel 3l, and the distance between them is such that either may beengaged therewith orboth may be disengaged therefrom. Hence the shaft 16may be rotated in either direction in order to cause the machine to moveforward or rearward, as may Ybe required, and when both of the gears 3233 IOO of the said links. A link 37d is pivoted to said lever 36,as at37,the pivot 361 of said lever being between the points 36a and 37e, andthe outer end of said link 37d has a slot 37f, that engages one of thepins 17h. Said hand-lever and said links serve to operate the saidfriction-clutches 1S for the purpose hereinbefore described.

A carrier-box 3S is disposed under the frame l and is open at its frontend. The carrierboX at its rear end is pivotally connected to the framel, as at 39, and thereby the front open end of the carrier-box isadapted to be raised and lowered. The bell-crank levers 40, which arefulcrumed on the sides of the frame l, near the front end thereof, areconnected to the sides of the carrier-box, near the front end of thelatter, by links 4l. Said levers 40 serve to raise and lower the frontend of the carrier-box, as will be understood. At the front end of thecarrier-box and projectjecting in advance of the same is a scoop 42, thesides of which at the rear side of the scoop overlap the sides of thecarrier-box at the front end of the latter and are connected thereto bybolts 43 44. The bolts 43 engage curved slots 45 in the sides of thescoop, which curved slots 45 are concentric with the bolts 44, and thelatter engage curved slots 46 in the sides of the scoop, which curvedslots 46 are concentric with the bolts 43. Hence the scoop is pivotallyconnected to the front end of the carrier-box and is adapted to beraised and lowered. Furthermore, this means of connecting the scoop tothe carrier-box enables the bottom of the scoop to be raised and loweredwith relation to the bottom of the'carrier-boX. When the scoop islowered at its front edge, the bottom thereof vis also lowered to aposition only slightly above the bottom of the carrier-box; but when thescoop is raised the bottom thereof is raised some distancefabove thebottom of the carrier-box, so that aspace is formed between the bottomof the carrier-box and the bottom of the scoop. A rock-shaft 47 isjournaled in suitable bearings on the front ends of the frame l. Thesaid rock-shaft is provided with asuitable lever 48 and is furtherprovided with rockarms 49, the latter being connected to the sides ofthe scoop by links 50. Thereby the scoop may be raised or lowered, aswill be understood.

Thecarrier-box is provided in its lower side with a conveyer 5l ofsuitable construction, which operates on the bottom of the carrierboXand is carried by endless sprocket-chains.

The said conveyer is supported at the front and rear sides of thecarrier-box by shafts 52 53, respectively, which are provided withsprocket-wheels 54, that engage the carrier or conveyer sprocket-chains.When the machine is in operation and is advancing, the conveyer travelsrearward on the bottom of the carrier-box and conveys the gate 38arearward in thecarrier-box from the scoop, the

said gate moving rearward as the earth is delivered into the carrier bythe scoop, whereby the earth is disposed compactly in the carrier-box,as will be understood, thus avoiding the necessity of shoveling theexcavated earth in the carrier-box. When discharging earth from thecarrier-box, the scoop is raised, whereby a space is formed above theconveyer and below the scoop, and the conveyer is caused to convey theearth from the carrier-box, the said conveyer being caused to moveforward on the bottom of the carrierboX and the gate 382L moving forwardtherewith. The endless traveling chains which carry said conveyer arepositively driven by power conveyed thereto from the engine, and anysuitable means may, within the scope of my invention, be employed toconvey power from the engine to the said conveyer. In the embodiment ofmy invention here shown I employ a pair of reversely-disposedfrictioncones 55, either of which may be engaged by a friction-cone 56on a shaft 57, that may be shifted by a lever 58. Said shaft 57 ismounted and movable in suitable bearings and is geared to a shaft 59 bymiter-gears 60 61.

Said shaft 59 has a sprocket-wheel 62, which is connected to asprocket-wheel 63 on shaft 53 by an endless sprocket-chain 66.

In order to facilitate the compact disposition of the excavated earth inthe carrier-box when the machine is in operation, I provide the sides ofthe carrier-box with conveyerbelts 65, which are not positively driven,but serve to reduce friction between the earth and the sides of thecarrier-box and are connected to the ends of the gate 38a, said gate andsaid conveyers 5l 65 moving in unison.

In practice I provide the conveyers 5l 65 with antifriction-rollers toreduce friction between said conveyers and the bottom and sides of thecarrier-box.

Having thus described my invention, I claim'- l. In an excavator andgrader, the combination of a wheeled frame and means to propel the same,a carrier-box carried by said wheeled frame and having its front endopen, means to raise and lower the front end of the carrier-box, a scoopat the front end of said carrier-box, means to raise and lower saidscoop, a traveling bottom in said carrier-box, and a gate attached toand movable back and forth in said carrier-box by said traveling bottom,substantially as described.

2. In an excavator and grader, the combination of a main framehavingindependentlyrevoluble traction-wheels, apower-shaft, pinionsloose on the latter and geared to thetraction-wheels, spring-pressedfriction-clutches splined on said power-shaft and normally engaged withthe pinions, a lever, links 37 connected thereto on one side of thepivot thereof, and connected to said clutches, said lever having lostmotion on said links andthe latter having lost motion on -said clutches,and

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'a link 37 d connecting said lever to one of said clutches, said linkhaving lost motion on said clutch, substantially as described.

3. In an excavator and grader, the combination of a carrier-box, asupport therefor, means to raise and lower the front end of thecarrier-box, a scoop having side walls overlappingthe sides of thecarrier-box, the scoop being at the front end of the latter, pivotalbolts connecting the sides of the carrier-box and scoop, the latterhaving adj listing-slots in which the bolts operate, means to raise andlower the front end of the carrier-box,`means to raise and lower thescoop, and a conveyer in the bottom of the carrierbox, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In an excavator and grader, the combi nation of a wheeled frame, acarrier-box car ried thereby and having its front end open, means toraise and lower the front end of the carrierbox, a traveling bottom inthe carrierbox, and a scoop at the front end of said carrier-box, saidscoop being adapted to be adf justed to any desired inclination andadapted to be raised and lowered on the carrier-box, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an excavator, the combination of a main frame havingindependently-revolnble traction-wheels on opposite sides, an engine onsaid frame, a gear revolved by the engine, a power-shaft, a'sleevesplined thereon, gears on said sleeve, disposed on opposite sides of theenginegear and adapted to be successively engaged therewith, a lever toshift said sleeve, pinions loose on said power-shaft, and gearedrespectively to the traction-wheels, spring-pressed clutches splined onsaid powershaft, and normally engaged with said pinions, and means toindependently release said clutches from said pinions, substantially asdescribed.

6. In an excavator and grader, the combination of a wheeled frame andmeans to propel the same, a carrier-box carried by said wheeled frame,and having its frontend open, means to raise and lower the front end ofthe carrier-box, a scoop at the front end of the latter, a travelingbottomin said carrier-box, and a gate attached to and movable back andforth in said carrier-box by said traveling bot tom, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT A. WISE.

Witnesses:

C. L. GRIGsBY, W. B. CALHOUN.

